Modern retro design, THX Spatial Audio, active noise suppression: Skullcandy is getting serious and is launching a new edition of a true classic with the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC. With high-end features and positioned in the premium segment. Our test clarifies whether it’s worth buying.
Technical data
| The product | Aviator 900 ANC |
| Design | Over-ear (closed) |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth codecs | AAC, SBC, |
| Maximum range | 15 meters |
| Battery life | Up to 50 hours (with ANC); Up to 60 hours (without ANC) |
| Driver | 40 mm neodymium |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth; 3.5 mm jack; USB-C |
| weight | 332 g |
| Color variants | True Black |
| Special features | Wearer detection; THX Spatial Audio with head tracking; Multipoint |
| The price | RRP: 299,00 Euro |
Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC test: Ready to take off
- classy, unique look
- high-quality workmanship
- mixed wearing comfort
A good 15 years ago, the Aviator from Skullcandy attracted everyone’s attention with its iconic look. With the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC, the model series is now back and, from a visual point of view, has lost none of its fascination.
The new model also relies on a harmonious retro aesthetic, high-quality materials and a shape reminiscent of pilot headphones. Of course, that’s where the name comes from. The Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC come in a black color scheme, with the transparent ear cups immediately catching the eye.
Looks cool, but attracts fingerprints pretty quickly. The manufacturer uses plastic as much as possible for the housing, which is combined with a metal bracket. This keeps the weight pleasantly low, but still looks robust and of high quality.
With the exception of the ear cups, which can be turned inwards in both directions or folded up to save space. Practical for transportation, but in the case of the Aviator 900 ANC a rather wobbly affair. The joints don’t really appear to be of high quality or robust. However, a long-term test will have to show whether this is a decisive factor in practice. A Sony WH-1000XM6 (our test) seems noticeably more valuable here.
Weighing in at 332 grams, the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC are anything but lightweight. With their comparatively compact design, you wouldn’t have thought so. The leatherette ear pads are also rather small: They are around 1.5 cm high and offer 6 cm x 4.5 cm of space on the inside (height x width).
For people with larger ears, it could be rather tight here, but with my small ears there wasn’t much to complain about in terms of wearing comfort. Apart from the fact that I would have liked slightly softer padding.
Features and operation
- Bluetooth 5.3 with Multipoint
- Fast Pair; Wearer recognition
- Mimi sound personalization; THX Spatial Audio
The features of the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC are extremely modern. The headphones rely on Bluetooth 5.3 and feature a multipoint connection. Thanks to Google Fast Pair and Finder, the headphones can be paired quickly and easily on Android and tracked in the Find My Device app. There is Spotify Tap for a quick launch of the music streaming app, as well as the option to adjust the sound to your own ears or hearing ability via Mimi Personal Sound.
The 900 ANC also feature reliable wearer detection and THX Spatial Audio surround sound including head tracking. In addition to a USB-C port for charging, the headphones can also be connected via a 3.5 mm jack so that you can use them wired with various end devices. Commendable: music playback via USB-C is also possible.
The Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC also have a small display on the back of the right ear cup, which shows the battery status, the selected equalizer preset and other details.
The operating concept is also appealing: there is a joystick on the right next to the power button, which you can use to adjust the volume or switch between songs. On the left, there is a custom button that can be assigned various functions in the companion app, as well as a ribbed rotary wheel that switches between ANC, transparency mode and normal sound mode.
App connection
- Clearly arranged app
- Many setting options
The Skullcandy app for iOS and Android allows in-depth customization of the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC. What I find very pleasant is that all the settings are in a single tab – so you don’t have to wade through endless, convoluted menus (take that, Sony).
In addition to information about the charge level, you can switch on THX Spatial Audio and adjust the speaker distance. Optionally with or without head tracking. The ANC can also be adjusted in terms of intensity or works adaptively.
You can also choose between four equalizer presets (music, film, podcast or bass boost) and adjust the sound with a simple custom EQ in five frequencies. The functions of the custom button can also be adjusted within the app, while you can also select an audio mode with low latency if you wish. This is particularly interesting for mobile games, but is a big drain on battery life.
Very cool: The headphones can also be configured so that you can take a photo with them. To do this, simply rest the smartphone on a surface and press the specified button while the camera app is open.
Battery life of the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC
- up to 60 hours runtime without ANC
- up to 50 hours with ANC
- Fast Charge
In terms of battery life, the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC are at a very good level. With up to 60 hours of runtime without ANC and 50 hours with active noise cancellation, the headphones are right up there with the best.
That’s around 20 hours more than the Sony WH-1000XM6, but models such as the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 (our test) last a whopping 100 hours. There is also a quick-charging function that gets the headphones ready for four hours of music playback in just 10 minutes.
Sound quality, ANC and microphones
- Good, fairly detailed sound
- but strong bass focus
Skullcandy typically relies on a bass-emphasized sound and this is no different in the case of the Aviator 900 ANC. The low frequencies are very powerful, but also rich in detail, without overpowering the mids and highs.
Nevertheless, there is too much “oomph” in the sound, especially when playing music, which means that various genres that do not rely heavily on bass sound somewhat overloaded and lack the finest details. The sound can still be improved with the help of the equalizer, but I would have liked more detailed and high-resolution mids and highs. Even with the individually adjusted equalizer and the personalized Mimi Sound function, I had the feeling that the sound was simply too overloaded and the headphones made a noticeable (and sometimes futile) effort to create a wide and airy stage.
However, if you listen to a lot of electro or hip-hop, you will probably enjoy the sound of the Aviatator. However, I personally found them lacking in neutrality and brilliance in the higher frequencies. So it depends on the genres you prefer, because the headphones don’t sound bad per se – they just don’t really suit my taste, which is mainly at home in the metal, rock and folk genres.
Where I do like the headphones noticeably better, however, is in entertainment and gaming. Especially with THX Spatial Audio, which I consider to be rather counterproductive when listening to music, the headphones impress with their great spatiality.
The head-tracking sound of the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC headphones is particularly useful when gaming, as it makes the sound appear more realistic by adapting to head movements. When you turn your head, the sound shifts accordingly – as if footsteps in a game were really staying behind you. The headphones use sensors that detect the position of the head in real time. This creates a 3D sound effect that works really well.
ANC and transparency mode
- ANC only average
- audible background noise
- good transparency mode
The active noise cancellation of the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC is fine. Especially low frequencies and monotonous noises such as street noise or similar are suppressed very well, but active noise cancellation quickly reaches its limits with medium and high frequencies such as voices, typing on the keyboard or similar.
Although these are noticeably attenuated, they still come through perceptibly. That’s decent, but Skullcandy can’t compete with the best ANC headphones here. And yet: a welcome addition that noticeably improves immersion. However, a background noise is always perceptible with active noise suppression. Many competitors also manage this much better.
I really like the transparency mode (called Stay Aware), which amplifies ambient noise accordingly and allows conversations to take place despite headphones being worn. The acoustics are pleasantly realistic so that voices and noises are not distorted. There is also no background noise, while the intensity can also be continuously adjusted in the companion app.
Microphone quality
- Very good microphone quality
What I really like is the microphone quality. Here, too, it’s not enough for the top spot, but the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC are very far ahead of the top models. Our own voice is reproduced quite clearly and in detail so that the other person can understand us well.
Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC microphone test recording:
Microphone test recording Sony-WH1000XM6:
Microphone test recording Marshall Monitor III ANC:
Fortunately, there are no sound dropouts or other problems, while ambient noise is also filtered out very well. This also makes the headphones very suitable for outdoor phone calls.
Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC Review: Conclusion
The legend is back: with the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC, the manufacturer is reissuing a very popular classic and gets a lot right at first and second glance. The design is classy, unique and absolutely high-quality and is a real eye-catcher in the wild. Modern features such as wearer recognition, multipoint or surround sound including head tracking and a long battery life are also included.
From a sound perspective, however, the headphones don’t quite live up to the high price, at least in certain genres. The bass-heavy sound naturally feels at home in electro, hip-hop or pop music, but lacks detail in other music genres. Despite the equalizer and sound personalization, I was unable to achieve a sound that I personally (!) liked, but that is also a matter of taste.
The active noise suppression is okay, while the microphone quality is particularly impressive. All in all, the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC are a very interesting choice, even if the current price is clearly too high for what they offer. There are simply better alternatives for around 300 euros. For 200 euros, however, the Aviator 900 ANC are definitely worth a look.
VORTEILE
- Unique design
- Great operation
- Good battery life
- Convincing microphones
- THX Spatial Audio
NACHTEILE
- Mixed wearing comfort
- Quite heavy
- ANC could be better
- (Too) high price
Fazit
Elegant over-ear headphones with modern features, good battery life and bass-heavy sound. A well-rounded overall package, but currently too expensive.
